Direction indicating device for motor vehicles



March 21, 1939. c B|ERBAH 2,150,906

DIRECTION INDICATING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHTCLFJS Filed March 2, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY wa -4W March 21, 1939. C. F. BIERBACH 2,150,906

DIRECTION INDICATING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 2, 1937 2 Shets-Sheet 2 7 'IN E I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECTION INDICATING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Carl F. Bierbach, Newark, N. 1., assignor of thirty per cent to Joseph F. Malley, and thirty per cent to George Massom, both of Newark, N. J.

Application March 2, 1937, Serial No. 128,621

4 Claims. (Cl. 200-59) This invention relates to signalling devices for a steering post and forming a part of the direcmotor vehicles and more particularly to improvetion indicating device, ments in devices for indicating the direction in Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the collar shown which a motor vehicle is to be turned. in Fig. 6,

The present-day tendency toward the use of Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the collar shown 5 closed automobiles renders it diificult and inconin Fig. 6, i venient for the driver of such a motor vehicle to Fig. 9 is an elevational view of one of the clamps indicate to drivers in the rear thereof the direcattached to the cover of the indicating device for tion in which the vehicle is to be turned. This supporting the device from a spoke of a steering m is especially so in the winter time when it is wheel, and 1 necessary to keep the windows closed. Fig. 10 is a perspective View of elements used It is, therefore, an object of this invention to in the device provide a device positioned adjacent the steering Referring to e s, in 1 there is wheel within easy reach of the driver of the wn st n wh l I nted up n aste r motor vehicle, for indicating the direction in post 2. One of the spokes '3 of the steer 15 which the vehicle is to be turned. The device is Wheel is encircled by e pairef Clamps 4, the latter preferably mounted on the steering wheel and on being insulated from theispeke y means of the steering post and provided with extensible sllletihg a er a (See F g. 9). The clamps 4 arms to enable it to be readily and Conveniently are mounted on the upper cover of the indicating if) manipulated by the fingers of the driver without device as S wn n 1. necessitating the removal of the hands from the Referring te 3 e d cat device s steering wheel. shown to include a head 5 made of insulating ma- A further object is the provision of a direction teriel Which head is provided With sses in indicating device for motor vehicles, which dewhich are p t d p ra pa ts f th de- 3 vice is simple i tru t e nd iti i operavice. One recess which traverses the head 6 has tion, so that it will not readily get out of order, p d therein by means of p v t p s 9 a pair no matter how frequently it may b d, of levers 1 and 8, which levers are telescoped A further object is the provision in a direction w t n handle members In d fi d to y indicating device for motor vehicles, of means for means of set screws 80 t t a dles can "0 automatically returning th parts of t device be adjusted to various positions relative to the to a neutral position after the motor vehicle has rim of the steering Wheels shown in made the desired turn as indicated by the device. the levers and 3 a e a y held in a raised These and other advantageous objects, which p s t y. ns of t s sp i s 2. The will later appear are accomplished by the simple inner ends of the levers are inclined and when 33 and practical construction and arrangement of e d v e is in neutral position, that the 35 parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the Position in which no indication is made, e er accompanying drawings,forming part hereof, and ends l3 0f the levers T and 8 engage nclined in'which: portions M of a pair of levers l5 and i6, pivoted Fig, 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel having at IT a t3 t0 the head The DD te e ds 40 a direction indicating device embodying my inof the levers l5 and [6 are provided with a pin I9 40 vention mounted thereon, this figure also includ- Which are positioned in slots 20 in e en s of ing a diagram of the electrical circuit employed a p of levers 2i and 22 p vo d at 3 and 24 in connection with the device, to a metal casing 25, which is supported by the Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device, head The levers 2| and 22 have p ti s 6 4.; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a direction indicating and 21 ex end ou of t casing for a pu pose device with the cover therefor removed, the opa te es r bederating parts of the device being shown in a neu- The head 5 is provided W a Pa r Of recesses tral position, that is, no turns are to be indicated. 28 in wh h a positioned compression sp s. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device showing the 9 aving n e d the f a ing terminals position of parts thereof for indicating a left 30. The other end of the springs 29 bear against 50 turn, heads 3i integral with pins 32 which project out- Fig. 5 is a plan view of the upper side of the wardly to positions adjacent the levers 'l and 8. device showing clips by means of which it can be The levers are, as above stated, normally preattached to a spoke of a steering wheel, vented from engaging .the pins 32 by th Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a collar mounted on spring I2. i 55 Mounted in the metal casing 25 between the levers 2| and 22 is a metal stud 33 which is connected by means of a cable 34 to a'terminal of a storage battery or other source of electrical current. The terminals 30 are connected by cables 35 and 33 (see Fig. 1) to direction indicating lights 31 at the front of the motor car and direction indicating lights 38 at the rear of the vehicle, said indicating lights being grounded as shown in the diagram of Fig. 1.

In operation, when it is desired to indicate a turn in a certain direction, say for example to the right, (see Fig. 3) the lever 1 is moved downwardly so that the inclined tip I3 thereof moves oi! oi the inclined surface l4 of lever I6 where it is held in a notch 39. When in this position, the lever 1 will engage the pin 32, and a bowed spring 40 mounted in the head 6 and engaging pins 4| on the levers l5 and i6 will cause the upward end of lever IE to move clockwise, which movement causes the lever 2i to move counterclockwise against the stud 33.

Inasmuch as the stud 33 is metallic and the casing 25 is made of metal, as well as the levers 2| and I6 and 1, and the pin 32, etc. it will be seen that an electrical circuit is then made through the stud 33 to the lever 2|, then to lever I6 and to lever 1, and then to pin 32, through the spring 29 to the terminal 30 from which the current is conducted by means of cables 36 to the direction indicators at the front and rear of the vehicle to indicate a right turn.

The position of the levers to indicate a right turn is shown in Fig. 4.

Mounted on the steering post adjacent the indicating device is a collar 42 which is insulated from the steering post by insulating material 43, said collar having spring arms 44 which are held tightly against the post by means of a bolt and nut 45 and 46. The spring arms 44 have mounted thereon angles 41 provided with slots 48 which receive set screws 49 for adjustably holding upstanding arms 50 in various positions of adjustment. The arms 50 are positioned so that they are adjacent the arms 25 and 21 of levers 22 and 2|. When the indicating device is in a neutral position, that is, when it is not desired to indicate the turn, the arms 26 and 21 will not engage the arms 5|]. However, when the indicating device has been moved to indicate a turn, as above described, the arm 21 will be swung (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) to the right, and inasmuch as the steering column is stationary, while the steering wheel is moved to make the turn, the arm 21 will engage an arm 50 which will exert pressure against the arm 21 to move the arm 21 in a clockwise direction, which action moves the lever l6 counter-clockwise, so that the tip l3 will be disengaged from the notch 39 and be restored to its neutral position by the spring l2 as shown in Fig. 3.

At certain times, a person may move one of the levers I or B to indicate a turn, but before making the turn change his mind and decide to not make the turn. Since he does not make the turn, the arms 50 will not exert pressure upon the arms 26 and 21 and accordingly the indicator will remain lighted. In order to move the device to a neutral position as shown in Fig. 3 there is provided in the head 6, sliding bars 51 having finger-pieces 52, the inner ends of the bars bearing against the upper ends of levers i6 and 15.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that by sliding the right-hand bar 51 inwardly, the lever l6 will be moved counter-clockwise so that the and I3 of lever 1 will be disengaged from the notch 39, and the lever 1 returned to its neutral position.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a simple and positively operating device for indicating the direction in which a motor vehicle is being turned. The device obviously is so arranged that it will not get out of order and will be always in a condition for positive operation. i

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously embodiments may be constructed including many modifications, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch device a head of insulating material adapted to be attached to the spoke of a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, a lever pivoted in said head and having a notch in one end thereof, spring means tending normally to rotate said lever clockwise, a hand operable lever pivoted in said head and having a portion adapted to be received in'said notch, said head having a recess in which is positioned a compression spring, a terminal engaging one end of said spring, a pin engaging the other end of said spring and projecting upwardly to a position adjacent the hand operable lever, spring means for normally maintaining said hand operable lever from engagement with said pin, and means for applying electric current to said first mentioned levers so that when the end of the hand operable lever rests in said notch current will be conveyed through the hand operable lever to the pin and spring and to said terminal, all of said levers being made of an electrical conducting material.

2. In a switch device a head of insulating material adapted to be attached to the spoke of a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, a lever pivoted in said head and having a notch in one end thereof, spring means tending normally to rotate said lever clockwise, a hand operable lever pivoted in said head and having a portion adapted to be received in said notch, said head having a recess in which is positioned a compression spring, a terminal engaging one end of said spring, a pin engaging the other end of said spring and projecting upwardly to a position adjacent the hand operable lever, spring means for normally maintaining said hand operable lever from engagement with said spring, and means for applying electric current to said first mentionel levers so that when the end of the hand operable lever rests in said notch current will be conveyed through the hand operable lever to the pin and spring and to said terminal, all of said levers being made of an electrical conducting material, and means associated with said first mentioned levers to restore said levers to a neutral position after a turn has been made.

3. In a switch device a head of insulating material adapted to be attached to the spoke of a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, a first pair of levers pivoted in said head and having notches in one end thereof, spring means tending normally to rotate said levers in opposite directions, hand operable levers pivoted in said head and having portions adapted to be received in said notches, terminals mounted on said head, means for applying electric current to said first mentioned levers, and means for electrically connecting said hand operable levers to said terminals when the hand operable levers are moved sothat their ends are positioned in said notches, a pair of spaced arms mounted on the steering post for the steering wheel, a pair of second levers having a lost motion connection with said first mentioned levers and arranged to engage said arms so that when the steering wheel is rotated to make a turn one of said second mentioned levers will engage one of said arms to rotate one of said first mentioned levers to restore said levers to a neutral position after a turn has been made.

4. In a switch device, a head of insulating material adapted to be mounted on a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, a first pair of levers pivoted in said head and having notchesin one end thereof, means tending normally to rotate said levers in opposite directions, hand operable levers pivoted in said head and having portions adapted to be received in said notches, terminals mounted on said head, means for applying electric current to said first mentioned levers, means for electrically connecting said hand operable levers to said terminals when the hand operable levers are moved so that their ends are positioned in said notches, a pair of spaced arms mounted on the steering post for the steering wheel, a second pair oflevers having lost motion connection with said first mentioned levers and arranged to engage said arms so that when the steering wheel is rotated to make a turn one of said second mentioned levers will engage one of said arms to rotate one of said first mentioned levers, to restore said levers to a neutral position after a turn has been made.

CARL F. BIERBACH. 

